Did Early Head Start have an impact on parental depression or use of mental health services?
While Early Head Start had no effect on maternal or paternal depression or on family use of mental health services, the program did help parents in their relationships with their children. Children in Early Head Start were less aggressive and had more positive parent-child interaction than their peers who did not receive Early Head Start. Early Head Start parents (both mothers and fathers) were also less likely to use harsh discipline strategies; they had a wider array of positive strategies to cope with parent-child conflict. There were many notable positive impacts for those families in which the mother was depressed at the time of enrollment. Depressed women who were in Early Head Start were more positive and less negative in interactions with their children. Also, their children were more engaged, more attentive, and less negative in interactions than their peers who did not receive Early Head Start. These are important findings because they demonstrate that Early Head Start can an
